MAPATS is capable of day and night operation, while the gunner has to direct his laser designator on the target until the missile impacts. First revealed in 1984, it has no trailing wire; so it can be fired over water at naval targets or from sea to land, unlike wire-guidedATGMs. The launcher has an elevation capacity up to +30°, so MAPATS can be used in the anti-helicopter role. Externally, MAPATS is very similar in appearance to the TOW 2.

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The newer version of MAPATS, developed in the early 1990s, has a new engine and better laser guidance. Some new warheads were developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, including the tandem HEAT warhead and the HE bunker buster warhead.